Compendium of Writings About the 2024 Election and Issues at Stake [Updated]

Links to all my writings on these topics.

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As election day approaches, here are links to all my writings on the 2024 election and the issues at stake. Except where otherwise noted, these are all posts published right here at the Volokh Conspiracy blog, hosted by Reason. I list these items in reverse chronological order - most recent first:

"Political Ignorance is an Even Worse Problem than I Thought," Nov. 3, 2024. I've long warned about the dangers of political ignorance. But recent events - including the course of this election - suggest I was overly optimistic on one key aspect of the problem.

"Kamala Harris is a Far Lesser Evil than Donald Trump," Oct. 24, 2024. My case for voting for Harris on "lesser evil" grounds. Matt Zwolinski, coauthor of The Individualists: Radicals, Reactionaries, and the Struggle for the Soul of Libertarianism, writes: "[I]f you're still on the fence about Trump, and you're only going to read one piece on the subject, I implore you to read Ilya Somin's essay at Reason, which makes a careful and detailed libertarian case against Trump (and for Harris)."

"Trump's Mass Deportation Proposal Ignores a Huge Economic and Social Cost," The Dispatch, Oct. 24, 2024 (symposium on immigration and the 2024 election). This piece explains why Trump's immigration policy plans are particularly dangerous, and much worse than Harris's far from ideal immigration policies.

"Courts Might Not Stop Trump's Illicit Plans for Mass Deportations," The UnPopulist, Oct. 16, 2024. This article discusses Trump's plan to use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 as a tool for mass deportation.

"Perils of Broad Presidential Power Over Tariffs," Oct. 10, 2024. Why Trump could implement his dangerous tariff plans without the need for new legislation.

"Harris Scales Back Harmful Price Control Proposal,"Sept. 30, 2024. Harris revised her awful price control proposal in a way that makes it less bad.

"Lessons of the Haitian Migrant Cat Scare," Sept. 12, 2024. What we can learn from an egregious episode of anti-immigrant electoral scaremongering.

"Both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are Preying on Political Ignorance," The Hill, Sept. 4, 2024. Both candidates have advanced terrible policy proposals that cater to widespread public ignorance.

"What Walz and Vance Get Wrong About Opportunity and Mobility," Aug. 22, 2024. Both VP nominees underrate the value of mobility and "voting with your feet."

"Harris and Trump Offer Terrible Housing Policies," Aug. 18, 2024.

"The Logic of Voting for a Lesser Evil—and Other Writings on the Morality of Voting," Aug. 13, 2024. My explanation of why it's right to vote for a lesser evil, plus pieces on other aspects of the morality of voting.

"Wokeness is Awful. Nationalism is Far Worse," The Dispatch, July 1, 2024. Not directly about the election. But I include it here because it addresses a major ideological tradeoff at stake.  Though both are bad, the nationalism embraced by the Trump-era GOP is worse than the wokeness prevalent among many Democrats.

"Thoughts on Biden's Proposed Supreme Court Reforms," July 29, 2024. Biden has left the race, but Democrats continue to back these proposals.

"J.D. Vance, Taxing the Childless, and the Power of Framing,"July 27, 2024. How people think about imposing higher taxes on childless people depends a lot on framing.

"Kamala Harris's Unduly Narrow View of Bodily Autonomy," July 27, 2024. Kamala Harris should broaden her commitment to "my body, my choice" beyond abortion rights.

"Biden's Withdrawal From the Presidential Race Is Not Anti-Democratic," July 23, 2024.

"Biden's Badly Flawed New Housing Plan," July 16, 2024. The Democrats still advocate many of these ideas.

"GOP VP Nominee J. D. Vance is an Enemy of Free Markets," July 15, 2024. Some of the reasons why Vance is awful.

"Thoughts on the Assassination Attempt Against Trump," July 14, 2024.

"More Evidence that Republicans are Now the Party that Benefits From High Voter Turnout," June 15, 2024.

"Inflation, the Economy, and Political Ignorance," May 23, 2024. How ignorance affects one of the biggest issues influencing voters' decisions.

"Setting Issue Priorities," May 14, 2024. How to decide which policy issues to prioritize. The question has obvious relevance to voting decisions.

"Increased Voter Turnout Now Benefits Republicans," Apr. 11, 2024. This trend could upend traditional divisions about voting rights issues.

Comments

[Michael W. Towns]

*Yawn*

[Lasciata]

Ditto.

[Dan Schiavetta]

Thanks for gathering these in one place, Prof.

[Bill B]

Ilya Somin is under the misapprehension that the next election is about the relative policy positions of the two candidates. The real question is whether we wish to remain subjects of an oligarchy (the MSM, big tech, etc.) that has demonstrated its willingness to lie to the electorate, suppress information unfriendly to its goals, and weaponize the criminal justice system. Donald Trump is no ones idea of a Libertarian, or even a consistent policy maker. But the alternative is to submit to a faceless oligarchy.

[Roger S]

Yes. Harris is one of the most anti-Libertarian candidates ever. Hard to say exactly, as she is vague, confusing, and contradictory about what she will do. It is baffling how anyone can call himself a Libertarian, and vote for Harris.

I think Somin is more of a Marxist than a Libertarian.

[Bruce Hayden]

Let’s compromise on Marxist libertarian. Nice oxymoron.

[SRG2]

It is baffling how anyone can call himself a Libertarian, and vote for Harris.

To you, perhaps. But when the alternative is a cognitively impaired old man with pathological personality defects who has already attempted to overturn a legitimate presidential election, who speaks in terms that appeal to the worst instincts of the authoritarian right and whose economic policies such as they are are based on nationalism and ignorance, and whose political policies are clearly undergirded by evident bigotry, then - as noted - Harris is by far the lesser evil.

Capeesh?

[Roger S]

Even by those standards: Harris is the lowest IQ candidate in a long time. She successfully overturned Biden's nomination election. She wants to reduce inflation by prosecuting grocery store price gougers. She is the bigot who pushes race-based policies.

[Longtobefree]

It is not at all hard to say; she has been in office for this entire term,
Look around you.

[Sarcastr0]

Oligarchy how?
What do you want to do that you cannot do?

You want to topple capitalist institutions, to seek...what kind of freedom that you don't have and can't vote for?

[Social Justice is neither]

And Ilya is fully on board with the faceless, marxist, technocratic State as long as he gets certain policy goals regardless of the outcome.

[Brett Bellmore]

Yeah, as long as he gets open borders, he's good, whatever else happens.

[Matt F]

Do you have any comments on New York’s Proposition One?